Medical Homes: Will They Improve Primary Care?

Medical homes are part of our nation’s overall efforts to reform the health care system. Effective primary care, the cornerstone of the medical home concept, may enhance quality of care and reduce costs by improving prevention and continuity of care and reducing unnecessary treatment, avoidable hospitalizations, duplicative testing, and other inefficient care. For decades, medical homes have been a model for coordinating health care for children, particularly those with special health care needs. This brief looks at federal and state efforts to establish medical homes and notes considerations for policymakers seeking to improve access to services and the quality of care.